Apply Early for an ETA The Australian Department of Home Affairs advises eligible clients to apply for an Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) two weeks before intended travel. While most ETAs are decided on application, some ETAs require further assessment by an Australian visa office. This does not necessarily mean the client will not receive an […]

BEIJING, April 18 (Xinhua) — China will offer greater visa-free access for tourists from 59 countries to Hainan from May 1, in a move to support reform and opening up in the country’s southernmost island province, the State Immigration Administration announced Wednesday. Under the new policy, group and individual tourists from 59 countries, including Russia, […]

Travellers leaving Japan by plane or ship will have to pay 1,000 yen (US$9.30) in departure tax effective January 7, 2019, the first permanent levy to be introduced since the land value tax was established in 1992, according to the Japan Times. The new levy, coined the “sayonara tax”, will apply to all travellers, both […]

AirAsia is waiving flight change fees for bookings where the travel date falls on May 9, polling day for the 14th general election. The airline offer only applies to Malaysian citizens and must be done within 10 days of April 10, when the Electoral Commission announced the polling day. It ticket holders may choose one […]

MANILA: The Philippines is closing its best-known holiday island Boracay to tourists for up to six months over concerns that the once idyllic white-sand resort has become a “cesspool” tainted by dumped sewage, authorities said on Thursday. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered the shutdown to start on April 26 for a maximum period of […]